CME to continue - PMDC still in a fix, ordinance yet to pass

By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD - The fate of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) still hangs in balance since the ordinance through which the caretaker set-up assumed charge is yet to be tabled in the assembly. According to reports the PMDC bill is expected to be tabled in the upcoming sessions of the National Assembly, and the council elections would also be held on time even though nothing has been announced as yet.

So far the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has failed to take measures to pass a presidential ordinance through parliament and PMDC council elections which are yet to be announced may also be announced immediately.

After a two-year tug of war between the PMDC and the ministry, President Mamnoon Hussain on August 28 promulgated the ‘Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Amendment Ordinance 2015’ after which the PMDC executive council was dissolved.

A new management committee was constituted which also included retired Maj-Gen Azhar Kiyani, Prof Abid Farooqi and Prof Nadeem Rizvi. The committee was advised to hold the executive council elections within 120 days.

At present PMDC interim set-up is more inclined to carry the day to day affairs since they do not have the constitutional power to make any fundamental changes.  They have waived requirements for the 1500 doctors awaiting their renewal and also for other till December, however the requirement of getting CME and CDE will continue to be there.

Talking to Medical News on the assurance of anonymity, PMDC official said that in order to provide relief to the community the waiver has been approved till December and for the already stuck up cases. He said that it is good to get CME so why would PM&DC scrap it, there may be changes to better facilitate the community, he added.

It is pertinent to mention that even after a month, no serious effort is made to get the ordinance passed from parliament and most importantly the PMDC council elections are not yet announced which has given rise to speculations that the ministry may fail to present the ordinance within the time limit of 120 days and so, it will fail to pass in the National Assembly.

It is a lengthy process for a bill to pass: staring with tabling in the National Assembly, followed by discussion in the standing committee and after getting approval from the NA, it would go to the Senate for approval.

Earlier in March 2014 also President Mamnoon Hussain suspended the executive council of PMDC through the “Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2014”.

A management committee headed by Dr Ghayas Butt was formed to look after the affairs of the PMDC. However it got lapsed as the PML-N failed to get the ordinance passed from the Senate in which the PPP was in majority and it resisted the bill.